Combatants Will Be Dispatched - Volume 4 - Chapter 4.3

3 

After Lilith flees back to her room, Alice and I stand on the rooftop, looking up at a sky filled with stars. 

With a Supreme Leader coming over here, I knew my days on this rock were limited, but… 

“It’s all moving so quickly…” 

“What’s with the long face? Got something on your mind?” 

Oh, right, she’s staying behind. 

I wonder what’ll happen to this planet once I go home, leaving Alice bereft of her partner and conscience. 

“Hey, Alice, what do you think of your mission on this planet anyway? Are you really planning to take over the place?” 

“Well, of course. You do recall we were sent here to secure enough land for humanity’s survival, right? Failure means the end of humanity.” 

…Oh yeah. I’d forgotten just how important our mission is. 

It’s something I learned only recently, but the various problems facing the Earth are a lot more serious than most people are led to believe. 

The general public thinks we still have a couple hundred years of fossil-fuel reserves left, but the reality is we’re gonna run out in a few decades. 

The issue of feeding the growing population will to lead to war if things stay the way they are. 

As for pollution, things are a lot worse than people are led to believe, and we might very well be past the point of no return. 

According to Lilith the scientist, the problems are so bad that the only real solution is for humanity to go extinct… 

If word gets out, there’s going to be mass panic and chaos in the streets. There’s nothing quite like having no hope for the future to make people do stupid things. 

I guess it’s like Snow not knowing about the Mud King slumbering beneath this very kingdom. 

Frankly, I would’ve been better off not knowing about that. 

Even if the world’s countries try to come together for the sake of humanity’s future, they won’t be able to put aside their old grudges and petty interests, and the situation’s too dire to let them fight it out. It’s cruel irony that the only solution is for an evil organization like us to force everyone to do what’s best. 

“…Still, it’s not like things will get worse for the locals of this planet. From my investigations, the amount of settled land on this world is small. Only about three percent of the globe is populated. My guess is that, at this rate, both humans and demons are doomed to extinction.” 

While I’m waxing sentimental, the android chimes in with a reality check. 

“…Dammit! No hope for either world, huh? We find a pretty, new planet, only to discover that everyone’s still in a hell of a fix. At this rate, I’m never gonna get to live out my days in decadence.” 

I lie down on the hard, concrete roof, whining as I gaze up at the sky. 

Alice lies down to join me and stares up at the sky herself. 

“Yeah, on this planet, a bunch of tiny kingdoms are clinging to life on a handful of livable areas. Everyone’s busy fighting monsters and natural disasters. The war against the Demon Lord’s Army is really the least of their worries. It’d be easier if we could just find an undeveloped world with no dangerous life-forms, but…” 

We come all the way to an alien planet brimming with fantastic possibilities, and yet the harsh grip of reality won’t let go. 

From up here on the roof, the night sky looks sparklingly clear, perhaps due to the lack of pollution. 

As I drink in the unfamiliar constellations hovering overhead, I fully realize I’m not on Earth anymore. 

Keeping my gaze on the sky, I ask Alice: 

“…Hey, Alice, you’ve heard from Lady Lilith, right? I’m going back to Earth with her once the survey on the ruins is done.” 

“Yep, I’ve known about that for ages. Once you leave, things are gonna get busy around here.” 

…Huh? 

“Aw, Alice, are you saying you’re gonna end up with a lot more work once you no longer have my superior abilities to support you? First Lady Lilith, now you. You two oughta just say how you really feel more often.” 

“No, that’s not it. I’ll just have a lot more freedom when I’m not stuck babysitting you anymore. The conquest of this planet’s going to take a great leap forward, so I’ll have a lot to do.” 

Despite the ideal setting—gazing up at a beautiful night sky on an alien world—this snarky android is busy insulting me. 

I guess she can’t help it; she’s just a machine. 

She can’t understand her partner getting sentimental at the idea of parting. 

“Oh yeah? That’s rich coming from you, Alice. I remember you talking about how much of a meathead I was when we first met. And now what? I’m being recalled to Earth because I’m priceless!” 

Despite my gloating, Alice shows no annoyance or regret that we’ll soon go our separate ways. 

“…Y-yeah? That’s nice. Sure, you’re plenty useful. Take care of yourself when you get home… Listen up, okay? When you get back to Earth, Lady Belial’s probably going to order you to go support her. Say that you got food poisoning from something you ate on this planet and shirk those orders for as long as you can.” 

………… 

“Huh, wait just a minute. I’m gonna get sent somewhere after I return to Earth? Where’s Lady Belial fighting right now? Okay, you convinced me; I’m staying.” 

I find myself losing my nerve at Alice’s warning. 

“…No. If my guess is off, you’ll be on easy street at headquarters.” 

Alice speaks without meeting my eyes, but now I’m desperate for confirmation. 

“I’ve yet to see your guesses not pan out! Goddammit, how did I end up in this situation anyway?! This is all Lady Lilith’s fault! She’s so damn useless. I’m gonna sneak her some pork and say, Wow, I didn’t know you liked orc meat! ” 

“Count me in when you do that. Lady Lilith pretends to be a gourmand, but she doesn’t know the first thing about fine dining. That nouveau riche boss will happily devour orc meat if you tell her it’s foie gras.” 

I’m pretty sure she’d be able to tell the difference between foie gras and orc meat, but given the weird gaps in Lilith’s knowledge, I find it more than plausible. 

“That good-for-nothing boss always asks too much of us. Every week, she sends me off to buy her weekly manga magazines when they release, even if it’s on my day off.” 

“It’s completely unacceptable that she sends her subordinates to run her little errands. She made me fetch coffee. The nerve. That’s the sort of job for Edo-era tea-pouring dolls, not advanced androids!” 

“Yeah, totally! Where does she get off? In fact, she once sent me to—” 

Under a sky dotted with stars that bear no resemblance to those looking down on Earth… 

…Alice and I while away the hours until the light of the rising sun erases the flickering pinholes in the heavens…just griping about our useless boss.